Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-03-10
The Wool Growers.

The Belmont County Wool Growers
Association met in Flushing, on Satur.
day. Robert j. Pollock. president, John
Watson, secretary, and Amos Fawcett,
treasurer, and Notwithstanding the diff.
ieulty of travel over bad roads and the
driving snow storm keeping many away
who expected to be present, there was a
good sized meeting of the representa-.
tive men. imbued with a determination
to take active measures to protect their
business. Mr.. J. II. Close, of this place,
who has given the matter of the tariff
On wool and kindred topics, much
thought, and who recently, in company
with David Harpster. president of the
Ohio Wool Growers Association, yisit>
ed Washington City, and with others,
represented the claims of wool growers
in demanding a reversal of a recent bur-
densOme andsTuinous decision of the
Treasury Department, wrongly classify
ing and admitting foreign wools at GER
tain stages of manufacture, at a lower
rate of tariff than is contemplated by
waste, ring waste, thread waste, tops
and secured wool. and explained how
they were being imported to the great
injury and loss of the wool growers of
the United States. Mr.. Closes remarks
were listened to with the closest atteu
tion, and his exhibition of the samples
of woods and wastes elected especial in
terest. At the conclusion of Mr.. Closes
address, Mr.. A. W. Lee, of Wheeling
township. spoke on the importance of
organization. illustrating its effect by
reference to the action of the Dairymen
and their success in securing legislation
in their interest. Mr.. Close offered the
following resolution, which was unani>
mously ado )ted by rising vote:
WHEREAS, By late decisions of the Secretary
of the Treasury, touching the classification of
articles of wool mandatory, known to COM
merce as ring waste and tops (but not known
or classified under the tariff acts of 1889 the
former, "ring waste is, by the ruling, classed
as waste at duty of 10 cts per pound, in
stead of paying at least the duty of secured
wool of 80 cts. per pound; tops is classed as
secured wool at 30 cts. per pound instead of
60 cts. per pound as an article of wool manu-
facture; and,
WHEREAS, These classifcations and decisions
have been sustained by the Attorney General.
thereby throwing wide open our markets to
European competition, under these unjust and
unwarranted rulings and Interpretation of the
tariff laws, thus encouraging the fraudulent
classification to avoid the legitimate duties,
enabling our manufacturers to obtain supply
of material ready for spindles on basis that
rO ll- V
washed Merino wools to the ruinously low
basis of % to 25 cts. pound-in short, threat
ening the entire destruction of this industry
in the United States. Against such intepre-
tation of the tariff laws, we, the members of
the Belmont County Wool-Growers' Associa-
tion in convention assembled, enter our pro-
test, and pledge our best endeavors and in
luence, together with liberal contributions of
money to test the validity and secure a rever-
sal of these decisions in the .. S. district
court at New York. We call on each and
every wool-grower in the county to come to
our aid, with your names to this organization
ard your money to prosecute the case.
About twenty persons united with the
county association, and a considerable
sum of money was raised to aid in de-
fraying expenses of cGntesting the deci-
sion of the Treasury Department. Be-
fore the meeting adjourned a township
was effected, with Jacob
Hollowa as president, and com mittees
were appointed in every school district
to canvass for members. The County
association design holding meetings in
other townships, and doing their share
in awakening flock masters to the i'm
portance of organization and effort in
tn cir own behalf.